Huge increase in ‘chemical cosh’ drugs prescribed in pandemic

THE number of care home residents with dementia being prescribed harmful ‘chemical cosh’ drugs soared by half during the pandemic, a damning study has revealed.

Charities last night branded the widespread use of antipsychotics as ‘shocking and dangerous’ and warned they can accelerate death. Care industry leaders blamed GPs for the ‘concerning’ rise and backed calls for their use to be curbed.

The 50 per cent increase came as care homes battled coronavirus outbreaks and PPE shortages and banned relatives from visiting loved ones.

Academics at the University of Exeter and King’s College London compared current prescribing with pre-pandemic levels.

They found that a third of care homes had prescription rates of more than 50 per cent.

Professor Clive Ballard, from the University of Exeter and part of a 2009 campaign to reduce antipsychotic prescribing by half, said: ‘Covid-19 put tremendous pressure on care homes, and the majority of them must be applauded for maintaining relatively low antipsychotic prescribing levels.

‘However, there were very significant rises in antipsychotic prescribing in one third of care homes and we urgently need to find ways to prioritise support to prevent people with dementia being exposed to significant harms.’ Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat some of the more distressing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, such as agitation and psychotic episodes.

They have only limited, short-term benefits in treating psychiatric symptoms in those with dementia – but significantly increase the risk of serious side effects, including stroke, accelerated decline and death.

Dr Richard Oakley, from the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘This study shows the shocking and dangerous scale of the use of antipsychotic drugs to treat people with dementia in care homes.

‘The Alzheimer’s Society has been campaigning for a move away from the model of “medicate first” and funded research into alternatives to antipsychotic prescriptions, focused on putting people living with dementia at the centre of their own care.’

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of trade body Care England, said: ‘A lot of work was done over many years to reduce antipsychotic prescribing, and the outcomes of this research are a cause for concern. It is important to remember that prescribing is not done by care homes, but by GPs and other medical specialists.’

About 70 per cent of care home residents have dementia.